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M1 vs M4: M4 is 67% faster on CPU and 51% on GPU
Cheapest MacBook Air 13″ with each chip: M1 at $999 vs M4 at $999. The M4 config has 16 GB memory (vs 8 GB).
CPU
100
GPU
100
M4
MacBook Air 13″ (2025)
M4 (10-CPU/8-GPU), 16GB, 256GB · $999
CPU
167
GPU
151
M4 vs M1:
CPU +67%
GPU +51%
Price same
Scores are relative: 2020 M1 MacBook Air = 100, so 200 is about twice as fast. How we score
Verdict
- Own an M1 MacBook Air
- Upgrade if you wait on exports or compiles, or run out of 8 GB memory. M4 is a clear jump at the same launch price.
- M1 still feels fine
- Keep it. Browser and documents do not need more; upgrade when waiting or memory starts to hurt.
- Own an M1 Pro or Max
- M4 Pro and Max roughly double the CPU score — a big step for pro work.
Gain by chip tier
| Tier | M1 | M4 | CPU | GPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | M1 8 CPU / 8 GPU | M4 10 CPU / 10 GPU | 100 → 167 +67% | 108 → 192 +78% |
| Pro | M1 Pro 10 CPU / 16 GPU | M4 Pro 14 CPU / 20 GPU | 141 → 255 +81% | 233 → 375 +61% |
| Max | M1 Max 10 CPU / 32 GPU | M4 Max 16 CPU / 40 GPU | 141 → 293 +108% | 408 → 623 +53% |
Top tested chip of each tier on both sides.
Configurations to compare
| Model | Configuration | CPU | GPU | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air 13″ (2020) | M1 (8-CPU/7-GPU), 8GB, 256GB | 100 | 100 | $999 |
| MacBook Air 13″ (2025) | M4 (10-CPU/8-GPU), 16GB, 256GB | 167 | 151 | $999 |
| MacBook Air 13″ (2020) | M1 (8-CPU/8-GPU), 8GB, 256GB | 100 | 108 | $1249 |
| MacBook Air 13″ (2025) | M4 (10-CPU/10-GPU), 16GB, 512GB | 167 | 192 | $1099 |
| Mac mini (2020) | M1 (8-CPU/8-GPU), 8GB, 256GB | 100 | 108 | $699 |
| Mac mini (2024) | M4 (10-CPU/10-GPU), 16GB, 256GB | 167 | 192 | $599 |
FAQ
How much faster is M4 than M1?
Comparing the cheapest configs of each, M4 is about 67% faster on CPU and 51% faster on GPU (CPU 167 vs 100, GPU 151 vs 100).
Why do two M4 Airs have the same CPU score but different GPU scores?
Both have 10 CPU cores, so CPU is 167 on both. One has 8 GPU cores (151), the other 10 (192).
M1 vs M4 or M1 vs M5?
If you are buying new, compare with M5: see M4 vs M5 and Upgrade from M1.
What do the scores mean?
Every Mac is scored against the 2020 M1 MacBook Air = 100. A score of 200 means about twice as fast. These are MacDiff's own relative scores, not Geekbench points.
All chip variants (16)
| Gen | Chip | Cores | CPU | GPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | M1 | 8 CPU / 7 GPU | 100 | 100 |
| M1 | M1 | 8 CPU / 8 GPU | 100 | 108 |
| M1 | M1 Pro | 8 CPU / 14 GPU | 118 | 208 |
| M1 | M1 Max | 10 CPU / 24 GPU | 141 | 273 |
| M1 | M1 Max | 10 CPU / 32 GPU | 141 | 408 |
| M1 | M1 Pro | 10 CPU / 14 GPU | 141 | 208 |
| M1 | M1 Pro | 10 CPU / 16 GPU | 141 | 233 |
| M1 | M1 Ultra | 20 CPU / 48 GPU | 148 | 532 |
| M1 | M1 Ultra | 20 CPU / 64 GPU | 148 | 616 |
| M4 | M4 | 8 CPU / 8 GPU | 149 | 151 |
| M4 | M4 | 10 CPU / 10 GPU | 167 | 192 |
| M4 | M4 | 10 CPU / 8 GPU | 167 | 151 |
| M4 | M4 Pro | 12 CPU / 16 GPU | 230 | 333 |
| M4 | M4 Max | 14 CPU / 32 GPU | 255 | 513 |
| M4 | M4 Pro | 14 CPU / 20 GPU | 255 | 375 |
| M4 | M4 Max | 16 CPU / 40 GPU | 293 | 623 |